Golf ball putting game



J. ANTHONY GOLF BALL PUTTING GAMES Filed Sept. 11, 1947 Irlu ntnv I7 FlNTI-IUNY W PHIILEII'TLE.

JEIS

Patented Feb. 14, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in golf ball putting games, and the object of the invention is to provide a game wherein the player putts a golf ball along a channel; the open end of the channel, towards which the ball rolls, terminating in the vicinity of a mechanically driven oscillating hazard member which is interposed between the open end of the channel and an area having golf ball receiving holes therein.

A further and particular object of my invention is to furnish a game of skill wherein the objective of the player is to so time the putting of the ball, that the ball reaches the oscillating hazard member at such a moment in the members movement when it is possible to obtain the highest score, and another object of the invention is to provide a construction wherein the ball having entered one of the holes returns down an inclined surface for replay.

With the foregoing and other objects in view as shall hereinafter appear, my invention consists of a golf ball putting game constructed and arranged all as hereinafter more particularly described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of one construction of my ame.

Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal cross-sectional view taken through the line 2--2, Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a similar view to Fig. 1 showing an alternative construction, and

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical cross-sectional view taken through the line 44, Fig. 3.

Like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different views of the drawing.

My game as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 consists of a putting area 2 from where the player putts a ball along an open ended channel 3. The end 4 of the game platform opposite the putting area is of substantially semi-circular shape and the ball travels around to the open end 5 of the channel.

The end 5 of the channel opens into an area 6 having a plurality of ball receiving holes 1 therein, into one of which holes the ball may drop. The area 6 is sloped downwardly towards the putting area, so that the ball rolls towards the player. A sloping deck 8 is positioned underneath the area 6 and on which the ball drops upon entering any of the holes I. The lower end of the deck has an inclined wall 9 extending thereacross to guide the downwardly rolling ball on the deck 8 towards the left hand corner of 2 the game, whereby the ball can be picked up for re-play.

The area 5 has a trough Ill formed therein which extends from the curved end to the putting area and terminates with a ball receiving hole II. A mechanically driven oscillating hazard member is positioned at the entrance to the trough I0 and consists of a vertically oscillatable arm I 2 formed with an upturned end plate I3 extending through an orifice I4 in the area 6 at the entrance to the trough I0. A vertically positioned disc I5 is rotated by a geared electric motor I6 and is furnished with a crank pin which extends through a slot I! in the arm I 2. The end of the arm l2 opposite to the plate I3 is pivoted upon a suitably mounted pin I8, so that as the disc rotates the arm I2 swings upwardly and downwardly whereby its plate I3 moves between the lowermost position shown in dotted lines to the uppermost position shown in full lines. It will thus be appreciated that the oscillations of the plate I3 will cover and uncover the entrance to the trough Ill.

The holes 1 and hole II have various scoring points, the hole I I giving the highest score. The

players objective is to so time the putting of the' ball that the ball will pass from the end of the channel 3 towards the end of the trough I0 at the moment that the plate I3 is in the lowermost position, whereby the ball may enter the trough II] and roll downwardly to enter the hole II. If the player miscalculates the timing, the ball will strike the plate I3 and thus be prevented from entering the trough Ill and will roll downwardly over the central portion of the area 6 and possibly drop into one or other of the holes I. When the ball, having entered a hole 1, comes to rest after rolling down the deck 8, it will lie underneath the hole I I which is of such a size that the ball can be lifted therefrom for re-play.

In Figs. 3 and 4 I show an alternative form of the invention wherein the ball receiving channel I 9 extending from the putting area 2 is of wide mouth form and curves around at its end 20 to direct the ball into a horizontal oscillating hazard member. This member consists of a pair of upper and. lower discs 2| and 22 retained in spaced relationship by a pair of converging walls 23 which form with the upper and lower discs 2I and 22 a funnel 24 into which the ball enters.

The lower disc 22 is mounted upon a centrally positioned spindle Z5 journalled within a bearing plate 26 and carrying a crank arm 21. The crank arm 21 is connected to a crank 28 upon an electric motor 29 by a connecting rod 30; the

drive being so dimensioned that as the crank 28 rotates the crank arm 21 oscillates with the resultant oscillation of the funnel 24.

The lower disc 22 of the funnel assembly is substantially flush with the upper face of a deck 3| which contains a plurality of ball receiving holes 32 positioned at the ends of troughs 33 which radiate from the periphery of the disc 22 and have their ball entrance ends within the compass of the swinging movement of the narrow end of the funnel 24.

An indicating arrow 34 is carried upon the top face of the disc 2| so that the player may guage the oscillations of the funnel when putting the ball.

The holes 32 have various scoring points and the objective of the game is to putt the ball at such a time that it will be directed cleanly through the funnel and enter the channel 33 of the hole earning the highest score. For example with the funnel in the position as shown in Fig. 3 the ball will roll therethrough and enter the central channel whereas if the ball enters the funnel 33 as the funnel is approaching either end of its stroke, the ball will strike against one or the other of the walls 23 and will probably be delivered into one of the lower scoring holes. The construction shown in Fig. 3 is formed with a lower sloping deck, similar to the construction shown in Fig. 1 and upon which the ball will drop upon entering one of the holes 32 and roll downwardly towards the putting area where it can be retrieved through a suitably positioned orifice. It will be readily apparent that my game may be so constructed that the ball upon entering any f the holes will close an electrical contact whereby a vertical illuminated score board will indicate the score in the same manner as in electrically illuminated pin ball games.

Although I have shown and described a particular embodiment of my invention it is to be understood that I may make such changes and alterations as I may from time to time deem necessary without departin from the spirit of my invention as set forth in the appended claims.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A golf ball putting game of the character described comprising an area from which the player putts the ball, an open ended channel extending from the area and along which the ball rolls after it has been struck, a deck formed with a plurality of troughs in its face which terminate with ball receiving holes, and a power driven oscillatable hazard member of funnel shape which continually oscillates while the player putts and having its large orifice directed towards the end of the channel and its small orifice directed towards the ends of the trough, said troughs being arranged between the limits of oscillation of the small end of the funnel, the small end of the funnel being only large enough to direct the ball into one trough.

2. A golf ball putting game as claimed in claim 1, wherein the funnel shaped hazard member is oscillatable in a horizontal plane about a pivot point disposed substantially centrally of the funnel, the troughs being radially disposed in relation to the pivot point.

JOSEPH ANTHONY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,566,479 Horvath et al. Dec. 22, 1925 1,600,624 De Boer Sept. 21, 1926 1,868,762 Plenge July 26, 1932 1,886,399 Hause Nov. 8, 1932 1,929,327 Moray Oct. 3, 1933 1,939,819 Isaza Dec. 19, 1933 2,250,778 Smith July 29, 1941 

